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Hanging Rock State Park, NC 3.1.9 April 2000
that had already evolved con-tinued
to flourish with the ex-ception
of the trilobite which
continued to become rarer.
Millipedes and scorpions
may have begun to live on
the land.
Devonian Period
410 to 360 million years ago
This period is called the
Age of Fishes because the
early, primitive forms of fish
multiplied and diversified.
Sharks, rays and bony fishes
developed during this period.
A giant, 30 foot long fish
called the Dunkleosteus did
not have any teeth, but the
bones in its jaw were as sharp
as knives. Other inverte-brates
began to live in fresh-water
during this period. The
first amphibians, animals that
live part of their life in water
and part on land, evolved.
The first forests, with giant
horsetails and tree ferns, were
found during the Devonian
period. The first seed- bear-ing
plants also evolved then.
Mass extinction marked the
end of this period– 25% of all
species disappeared.
Mississippian Period
360 to 325 million years ago
During this period almost
all of North America was
covered by
oceans.
Crinoids,
feather
stars and
sea lilies
flourished
in the oceans. The trilobites
continued to decline.
Pennsylvanian Period
325 to 286 million years ago
The 39 million years of
the Pennsylvanian period
were a time of mountain
building and the loss of many
of the shallow seas. As a re-sult,
many of the marine spe-cies
declined. However, the
first insects and reptiles
evolved. In fact, the largest
insect that ever lived, a drag-onfly
with a wingspan of
29", lived during this time.
Most of the land was covered
with swampy forests. Coni-fers
first developed during
the Pennsylvanian period.
Permian Period
286 to 248 million years ago
During the 38 million
years of the Permian period,
the marine invertebrates spe-cialized
into many different
forms. The ginko tree first
appeared. Reptiles and am-phibians
continued to de-velop.
One of the most im-portant
groups of reptiles
from this period was the pe-lycosaurs,
ancient forerun-ners
of the mammals. They
had tall, sail- like projections
from their backs that were
supported by spines out of
their backbone. The pelyco-saur
probably used its sail to
help heat and cool its body.
This period ended with the
most severe of all mass ex-tinctions–
96% of all species
were lost.
MESOZOIC ERA
“ Time of Middle Life”
248 to 65 million years ago
Triassic Period
248 to 213 million years ago
At the beginning of the
Triassic period, there was
very little marine life left af-ter
the mass extinction that
ended the Permian period.
The first modern corals de-veloped.
The entire Meso-zoic
era is known as the Age
of Reptiles because the rep-tiles
developed to dominate
the air, land and sea. The
first dinosaurs appeared near
the end of the Triassic.
These dinosaurs were the
saurichians, which walked on
two feet and had stabbing
teeth. Crocodiles also ap-peared
at the end of the Trias-sic.
Lizards, turtles and ma-rine
reptiles, like the plesio-saurs,
also evolved in
the Triassic. Finally, the first
mammal, a small mouse-like
animal that ate insects,
evolved. The Triassic ended
with a mass extinction in
which 25% of all species be-came
extinct.
Jurassic Period
213 to 145 million years ago
Oysters, crabs, lobsters,
sea urchins and shrimps de-veloped
in the oceans. The
stegosaurus and the ptero-saurs
( flying reptiles) ap-peared
during this time. The
mammals were still quite
small, but more diverse. The

Hanging Rock State Park, NC 3.1.9 April 2000
that had already evolved con-tinued
to flourish with the ex-ception
of the trilobite which
continued to become rarer.
Millipedes and scorpions
may have begun to live on
the land.
Devonian Period
410 to 360 million years ago
This period is called the
Age of Fishes because the
early, primitive forms of fish
multiplied and diversified.
Sharks, rays and bony fishes
developed during this period.
A giant, 30 foot long fish
called the Dunkleosteus did
not have any teeth, but the
bones in its jaw were as sharp
as knives. Other inverte-brates
began to live in fresh-water
during this period. The
first amphibians, animals that
live part of their life in water
and part on land, evolved.
The first forests, with giant
horsetails and tree ferns, were
found during the Devonian
period. The first seed- bear-ing
plants also evolved then.
Mass extinction marked the
end of this period– 25% of all
species disappeared.
Mississippian Period
360 to 325 million years ago
During this period almost
all of North America was
covered by
oceans.
Crinoids,
feather
stars and
sea lilies
flourished
in the oceans. The trilobites
continued to decline.
Pennsylvanian Period
325 to 286 million years ago
The 39 million years of
the Pennsylvanian period
were a time of mountain
building and the loss of many
of the shallow seas. As a re-sult,
many of the marine spe-cies
declined. However, the
first insects and reptiles
evolved. In fact, the largest
insect that ever lived, a drag-onfly
with a wingspan of
29", lived during this time.
Most of the land was covered
with swampy forests. Coni-fers
first developed during
the Pennsylvanian period.
Permian Period
286 to 248 million years ago
During the 38 million
years of the Permian period,
the marine invertebrates spe-cialized
into many different
forms. The ginko tree first
appeared. Reptiles and am-phibians
continued to de-velop.
One of the most im-portant
groups of reptiles
from this period was the pe-lycosaurs,
ancient forerun-ners
of the mammals. They
had tall, sail- like projections
from their backs that were
supported by spines out of
their backbone. The pelyco-saur
probably used its sail to
help heat and cool its body.
This period ended with the
most severe of all mass ex-tinctions–
96% of all species
were lost.
MESOZOIC ERA
“ Time of Middle Life”
248 to 65 million years ago
Triassic Period
248 to 213 million years ago
At the beginning of the
Triassic period, there was
very little marine life left af-ter
the mass extinction that
ended the Permian period.
The first modern corals de-veloped.
The entire Meso-zoic
era is known as the Age
of Reptiles because the rep-tiles
developed to dominate
the air, land and sea. The
first dinosaurs appeared near
the end of the Triassic.
These dinosaurs were the
saurichians, which walked on
two feet and had stabbing
teeth. Crocodiles also ap-peared
at the end of the Trias-sic.
Lizards, turtles and ma-rine
reptiles, like the plesio-saurs,
also evolved in
the Triassic. Finally, the first
mammal, a small mouse-like
animal that ate insects,
evolved. The Triassic ended
with a mass extinction in
which 25% of all species be-came
extinct.
Jurassic Period
213 to 145 million years ago
Oysters, crabs, lobsters,
sea urchins and shrimps de-veloped
in the oceans. The
stegosaurus and the ptero-saurs
( flying reptiles) ap-peared
during this time. The
mammals were still quite
small, but more diverse. The